Would you dress for the races?

Royal Ascot, Great Brittan’s premier horse racing meet, has set a heightened dress code for this year’s meeting beginning in June.

Fascinators, the small hats that became the fashion rage after Prince William and Princess Katherine (ok, Kate) were married last summer are no longer allowed in the Royal Enclosure. Additionally women can only wear dresses that are directly above the knee or lower. Men must still wear morning suits, however they are allowed to have a little flair by letting grey be worn as well as black. A cravat is no longer allowed.

For us mere mortals, no bare midriffs, shorts or miniskirts are allowed. Ascot is claiming that this is to bring “respectability” back to the sport.

I am all for dress codes in certain places. When I go to the box seats at the track, I can understand jacket and tie. I can respect the dress code at certain restaurants that want to convey a certain perception of their clientele. That being said, these restrictions may be too severe, even for me.